


Stream's Edge

by doop_doop



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Confessions, Getting Together, Injury Recovery, M/M, No Spoilers, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-27 00:14:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21382924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doop_doop/pseuds/doop_doop
Summary: Ignatz, recovering from a broken leg, is miserable in the Almyran summer heat, and Cyril finds a way to cheer him up.Written for the Ignatz Week day 1 prompt "Summer".
Relationships: Cyril/Ignatz Victor
Comments: 10
Kudos: 32
Collections: Ignatz Week 2019





	Stream's Edge

The canvas of the tent blocked out the sun, but it didn’t do much to reduce the heat. Ignatz, lying inside on his cot, gritted his teeth. He’d already stripped off his shirt, but he wasn’t sure how much more of this temperature he could take - and it was only noon, with the hottest part of the day yet to come.

The tent’s flap opened and Cyril entered. Ignatz, surprised, felt a flare of shame at his bare chest. He resisted the urge to throw his shirt back on - it was too late to cover up, anyways. “Hello, Cyril,” he said, doing his best not to sound as annoyed and bitter as he felt.

“Hey, Ignatz. It’s a hot one, huh.” Cyril walked towards him, crouching beside Ignatz’s cot. Ignatz noticed he carried a bowl in one hand and a cloth in the other. “I know the heat’s hard for you to handle.”

“It’s my fault we’re in this mess, anyways,” Ignatz said. “If not for me, we’d be miles away.” 

Cyril made a noncommittal half-shrug, looking uncomfortable. “Well, I brought you some water. It’s not exactly cold, but it’ll still help cool you off if you put it on your skin.” 

“Oh,” Ignatz said, taking the bowl from him. “Thank you.” He was still lying down on his back, so it was a little awkward - he was forced to hold the bowl at a strange angle, and felt water slosh over the sides.

“Actually - let me -” Cyril took the bowl back from him gently, and Ignatz felt another burst of shame, as hot as the stifling air around him.  _ I can’t do anything or go anywhere,  _ he thought, _ and I’ve screwed this up for us both. _ He didn’t want to wallow, but it was becoming hard to do anything else.  _ I hope he's not as annoyed with me as I am.  _

Ignatz dipped the cloth into the bowl, then, feeling a little unsure of himself, touched it to his neck and wrists and chest, even removing his glasses to get his face. When he put them back on, he saw Cyril staring at him in an odd way.

“Did I do it wrong?” Ignatz asked. They’d been traveling together for some weeks now, and it was rare for Cyril to make an expression he couldn’t read.

“What? No,” Cyril said, sounding surprised, and looked down at the bowl in his hands. “No, you’re fine. Was it - do you think it’s helping? The water, I mean.”

“Maybe,” Ignatz said, and sighed. “I feel guilty that you’re doing so much for me when I’m the one who got us stuck here in the first place.”

“You don’t need to keep saying that,” Cyril said. “I don’t mind much, honest. Everyone’s really nice to me. Oh, and guess what - this morning, when I was wandering around, I discovered a stream.”

“Really?” Ignatz said. “Can you describe it?” 

Cyril smiled. “It surprised me that there was any water at all, this time of year, but there's definitely a little. I took off my shoes and waded in it a while. That’s what gave me the idea for the bowl of water, you know - the stream helped cool me off.”

“Thank you. I think it's working.” 

“The stream, Ignatz, it’s… it’s not far.” 

“You can go back if you want,” Ignatz said, closing his eyes and trying not to let jealousy seep into his voice. He felt bad for making them stay in this remote Almyran village on account of his broken leg, but he also felt self-pity. Even if he was also trapped in the village, Cyril still had places he could explore, nature he could see. 

“I was thinking I would go back in a bit, yeah,” Cyril said - but there was a playful note in his voice that jarred with Ignatz’s sourness. Ignatz opened his eyes. Yes, Cyril was pushing down a smile, his eyes shining, his tone excited. “You know, I’d really like it if you came with me.” 

Ignatz stared at him, confused, and waited for an explanation. 

“I’m strong, you know. And you’re pretty light.” 

“You’re offering to - to carry me?” 

“Yeah!” Cyril grinned, though he looked a little nervous. “I mean, if you want to try it, that is. I promise I won’t drop you. If I think you’ll be too much, I’ll just head back and put you right down again. I’ll be really careful.”

“Well,” Ignatz said, pretending to think it over; but, in truth, it was far from a difficult decision to make. Even if Cyril  _ did  _ drop him, Ignatz felt it would still be worth it, just to leave the tent and village behind. “Alright. I trust you.”

Cyril’s smile grew wider. “When do you wanna go?”

“As soon as possible.”

“I was hoping you’d say that. Do you wanna - now?” 

“Let me-” Ignatz threw his shirt back on. “There. Now how are we going to do this? Do you want me to put my arms around your neck, like a piggyback ride?”

“No,” Cyril said, “I think that would hurt you left. I’d have to grab your leg right near where the break is.”

“Ah, Ignatz said, “right…”

“So I was thinking in front of me, like...” Cyril stood and pantomimed scooping Ignatz out of the bed. “So I could be sure not to jostle you.”

“Oh! That would probably work!” 

“Are you ready?”

“Yes,” Ignatz said, bracing himself. “Go ahead.” 

Cyril hesitated a moment, then bent down. He slipped one hand gently beneath Ignatz’s legs, and gripped his upper body with the other. For a moment Ignatz felt himself being lifted only slightly, as if Cyril was testing his own strength; then one dizzying second later Cyril was standing upright, and Ignatz was in the air, staring down at the ground below.

“Did I hurt your leg at all?”

“No,” Ignatz said. “I’m fine. Am I too heavy?”

“Nope, not a bit.”

“Good,” Ignatz said. “In that case, show me that stream!”

They made their way out of the tent and through the village. Ignatz’s cheeks were hot as he noticed a few people staring, but once they were out of sight of anyone else he relaxed and began to enjoy the ride. Being in Cyril's arms, it was…nice, he thought. He'd never imagined they'd be so close like this, but he was far from complaining. 

“You can put your arms around me if you want,” Cyril said, his voice just barely loud enough for Ignatz to hear. “You know, if it feels more stable or whatever.” 

So Ignatz did, but the truth was, he hadn't felt unstable before. Cyril was  _ strong, _ still in shape even though it’d been months since the war had ended. Ignatz had let himself go, and the first days of walking had been hard on him. He did not look forward to the same process once his leg had healed.

But that was a worry for another time. Now, he was safe in Cyril’s arms, the wind hot on his face but  _ fresh, _ not stale like the air inside his tent. He sighed in pleasure.

Cyril glanced down at him, and suddenly Ignatz was cognizant of how close their faces were. But Cyril said nothing, just smiled a little and looked ahead again as they continued on.

Finally they reached the stream - Cyril had been right; it wasn’t far from the village at all. The sparse yellow grass grew thickly along the water’s edge, but Cyril walked until there was a path worn through it, revealing bare dirt underneath. “I’m gonna set you down here,” he said. “That okay?”

“That’s fine.”

It was remarkable, Ignatz thought, how Cyril could be simultaneously so strong and so gentle. He set Ignatz down slowly, using care not to touch the injured part of his leg, and Ignatz felt no pain at all. He could hardly move around in bed without feeling  _ some  _ pain - it was incredible, really, how careful Cyril was with him.

“So what do you think?” Cyril said, sitting down on the ground beside him. “The stream’s nothing impressive, really, but I figured this is a lot better than me just trying to describe it to you.”

“Definitely,” Ignatz said. He closed his eyes. There was no shade here, and the sound of the stream was so tempting… “I hate to ask you to move right after we sat down, but… could you help me move into the water?”

“You don’t mind getting wet?”

“That’s sort of the point, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah,” Cyril said, and laughed. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

Ignatz took off his glasses, and, hesitating only a moment, his shirt too, setting them on the ground beside him. It was silly to be self conscious in front of Cyril, he told himself - by this time, he knew Ignatz better than almost anyone else, and his opinion wasn't about to change based on how unmuscular Ignatz's torso was. 

Then Cyril lifted him again, although this time only for a second before setting him down in the stream. The water was warm, just as Cyril had mentioned earlier, but when the wind blew, it cooled Ignatz’s skin.

“Thank you,” Ignatz said. “It would have been miserable to spend another day in the tent. I really appreciate you bringing me out here.” 

Cyril sat back down on the bank of the stream, his feet in the water. “It’s really not a big deal.”

“I don’t remember being carried like that since I was a little kid,” Ignatz went on. His smile faded. “It’s funny - I’m a burden to you both metaphorically  _ and _ physically, now.” 

“Stop it,” Cyril said. Ignatz couldn’t make out his expression without his glasses, but his voice was sharp. “Quit calling yourself a burden.”

“I’m wallowing in self-pity, I know,” Ignatz said. “I’m sorry. But what I said is true, isn’t it? I’ve screwed up our entire journey by getting us stuck here until I heal… Look,” he went on, feeling his throat tighten, “this whole trip was my idea, and I’m sorry for bringing us here in the first place. I just hope you don’t regret it.”

“Ignatz.” Cyril paused, and Ignatz heard him take a deep breath. “I’m no good with words, but I’ll be as clear as I can. I really don’t think of you as a burden at all. I don’t mind staying here for a month or two or three, as long as you don’t get hurt like that again. I’m serious. ‘Cause when I saw you trip and fall down the side of that mountain that day, I… I thought you had, you know… And that was one of the worst moments in my life.” 

“Cyril,” Ignatz said softly. Then: “Can you hand me my glasses?”

Cyril gave a surprised laugh, but a moment later he put them into Ignatz’s hand. Finally Ignatz could make out Cyril’s face, and saw that he was near tears; Ignatz had thought he’d heard it in his voice, but he hadn’t been sure. 

“I didn’t know you thought that,” Ignatz said after a moment. “When it happened, all I thought was: ‘Oh, damn it, I’ve been clumsy and now my leg hurts a lot.’ I never imagined how it must have looked for you when I fell.”

“Yeah, I thought it was a cliff!” Cyril said, wiping his nose. “Look, maybe this trip was your idea, but I agreed to it - and okay, sure, it’s not going to plan, but… that’s not the worst thing in the world, you know? Ugh, I never thought about you getting injured  _ after  _ the war. I guess I gotta keep a real close eye on you.”

“I’m s-”

“No, don’t apologize,” Cyril said. “It’s like I keep saying - I don’t mind.”

Cyril’s expression was soft, as gentle as his hold on Ignatz had been, and something in Ignatz’s head clicked into place.

“I was worried so much about being a burden,” Ignatz said slowly, “because I especially didn’t want to burden  _ you. _ The thought of you getting annoyed with me or wishing you were somewhere else is especially painful because I, well… I really care for you. I’ve known for a while that you mean a lot to me, but it wasn’t until this trip that I realized just how much. I would be very sad to be without you, Cyril.”

“Ignatz,” Cyril said, his voice soft, “are you saying…” 

“It’s hard to put into words, isn’t it?” Ignatz said, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. “I was worrying all this time when I… I don’t think I needed to be. Now, I might be wrong,” he added quickly. “If your feelings for me are platonic, I don’t mind! We can keep going on as we were, and I’ll never speak of it again. But I just wanted to tell you how I felt. I’ve been holding onto these feelings in fear for too long.”

“Why now?” Cyril asked. “I mean, why did you say anything at all?”

“I realized - or I  _ think _ I realized, anyways - that you feel the same. Your face, the way you held me… It made me realize you care for me quite a lot, more than I’d guessed before.”

“Yeah,” Cyril said, looking away. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ve liked you for a long time - since we met up again during the war, pretty much.”

“You - really?” Ignatz said, laughing in disbelief. “That’s so long! And you never said anything?”

“Well, like you said, it’s hard, isn’t it? Any you’re not easy to read. I mean, you’re nice to me, but you’re nice to  _ everybody! _ How was I supposed to know?

“I feel differently about you,” Ignatz said. “Don’t worry.”

“Yeah, you already said that.” Cyril’s demeanor didn’t match his annoyed words. He seemed embarrassed, and his face was half turned away, but, even so, Ignatz saw his smile. “Anyway, I’m glad you finally told me, ‘cause now you can stop calling yourself a burden.”

“I will,” Ignatz said. “I promise.” He smiled at Cyril, who was still pouting, pretending he was offended. It was terribly endearing. Ignatz could hardly believe his good luck, that Cyril felt the same as he. How fast things had changed; an hour ago he’d hardly believed his luck could be worse. 

“Hey, come into the stream,” Ignatz said. “Sit next to me.”

“My clothes will get all wet.”

“The sun and wind will dry them quickly enough.”

“I  _ guess,” _ Cyril said, already getting to his feet. He sat down next to Ignatz. “Here I am. Happy?” 

“Very,” Ignatz said, and, mustering his courage, moved his hand to set it on top of Cyril’s. Ignatz did not miss the blush that spread across Cyril’s face at the contact. “Thank you.” 

“Whatever,” Cyril said, and turned his hand over to intertwine his fingers with Ignatz’s.

The water of the stream was slow moving and shallow, barely making it over the tops of their thighs - but the wind felt nice, and the white noise of the water lulled Ignatz into a kind of trance, where nothing existed outside of the stream and the two of them in it. They were silent for a long time; Ignatz leaned his head over to rest it on Cyril’s shoulder, and thought of the future. He would heal, and they would continue home together, but he could not even begin to guess what would happen after that. That didn’t really matter, though; thinking of the future wasn't as frightening when you knew you wouldn’t be alone.

**Author's Note:**

> [\- my twitter](https://twitter.com/doop_doop2)  
[\- the fe3h rarepair server](https://discord.gg/SPeGQcm), where I've been talking everyone's ear off about Ignatz Week


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